Spiced Cranberry Tarts

Ingredients

•   Whole Wheat Oil Pastry
• 2 1/2  cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/3  cup water
• 2  tablespoons dry red wine or orange juice
• 2  whole star anise
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
•   Coarse decorating sugar

Directions

Prepare Whole Wheat Oil Pastry. Set aside one-third of the dough. Divide remaining dough into 8 portions. Press the 8 portions into the bottom and up the sides of 8, 4-inch tart pans. On lightly floured surface, roll out reserved pastry to about 1/8-inch thickness and cut out hearts with a 1-inch heart shaped cookie cutter; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. For filling, in a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, water, wine, and star anise. Bring to boiling. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until berries begin to pop. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Add to hot cranberry mixture. Cook and stir just until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Remove star anise and discard.

Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each individual tart. Place on large baking sheet; place heart cut-outs on baking sheet beside tarts. Sprinkle hearts with coarse decorating sugar. Bake about 30 minutes or until edges of tarts are browned (check heart-cut outs after 20 minutes). Place tarts on a wire rack to cool. Remove tarts from pans. Top with hearts.

Whole Wheat Oil Pastry: In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour, 1/3 cup toasted wheat germ, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 2/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup fat-free milk all at once. Stir gently with a fork. Form dough into a ball.